Redoubt
by Pyr0phage
Summary: In 2163, the Citadel is the center of galactic politics. Home to 11 million people, its numbers rise as humans first arrive. With C-Sec already becoming increasingly unequipped to deal with the problems of integrating a new species, they suddenly find themselves faced with a series of increasingly devastating explosions, with only 1 lead and time running out... See synopsis within
1. Chapter 1: Spirits!

**Synopsis**

In 2163CE the Citadel is the center of galactic politics and home to 11 million people. The population rises rapidly as humans flood into the heart of the galactic community. Citadel Security Services are already becoming increasingly unequipped to deal with the many problems that come with integrating a new species, when they suddenly find themselves racing to stop a series of horrific explosions. Are the newly arrived humans connected? With only one lead and limited time as the blasts intensify, officers like Vereus Okranos gather every resource in a desperate attempt to halt the devastation.

 **Author's Notes** :

After sifting through the mountains of fanfiction, I've found some truly fantastic works. One such piece adds that writing fanfiction is incredibly fun and incites all those who haven't tried, to do so. And so here I find myself, with my first fanfic. I am more than open to, in fact openly ask for constructive criticism. I'm learning on the job so I'd really appreciate the input.

 **Chapter One: Spirits!**

In 2157 CE, the galactic community watched in horror as the Relay 314 Incident (or First Contact War), consumed turians and humans alike. After three months of brutal fighting, the Citadel Council intervened, brokering peace and revealing the galactic community to the newcomers. A year later, the humans learned the potential of biotics, setting up training programs and developing the necessary implants soon after. Six years after that, and the Citadel was home to many humans. The first experimental L1 human implants were being tested, and many turians were open to interaction, albeit tense ones.

C-Sec officer, Sergeant Vereus Okranus watched one such interaction. Humans still had a tendency to stare at other species, but otherwise Vereus was surprised at how fast they had adapted. Many had made Tayseri Ward their home, and as such became part of his jurisdiction. He watched the human gape at the turian's sharp features, and even more at a passing hanar.

 _I guess it makes sense for them to stare_ , he thought. They looked so strange, with soft skin like asari, pink colouring like hanar and crowned with strange fringe-growths he'd never seen the likeness of before.

He watched the strange stuff move. _Hey, they look kind of like the plants of Oma Ker. Can they be even vaguely be related to the blades of grass or tendrils of ocean plants? Doubt it. Either way, these humans are strange in so many ways. Spirits, they must see us Council races as more than a little bit strange._ He dragged his wandering mind back from the intriguing image of human with fern fronds on their strange, round heads, as a scuffle broke out at the security desk. A young turian officer stepped in to try and bring it under control. Vereus watched carefully as his counterpart become increasingly frustrated with an irate human in front of him. The constable cast a pleading glance in the more experienced officer's direction, so he sighed and strolled over.

As he guided the younger turian through the complexities of dealing with tired and equally frustrated immigrants, he contemplated the other barriers in turian/ human interaction. Without sub vocals to guide them and lacking any understanding of the species, turians seemed to struggle immensely with human conversation. If not for his experience with and lessons learned from a long-lived asari, Vereus felt he might have struggled too. As it was, the only species seemingly capable of not offending humans were the Elcor. All these humans, in a strange place with strange aliens, they were bound to be on edge. _Be courteous Vere,_ he thought. _Helping them cope, helps you too. And it helps poor Lavern._ Less than ten minutes later, he sank gratefully into a chair. Lavern plopped down next to him, young face looking more than a little relieved.

"Wow. They're strange aren't they?" He said."Gosh, I guess we must be pretty weird to them too. I mean, spirits!" He paused to watch a human youngling run past. "They aren't what I expected, anyway."

Vereus' mandibles tilted outwards in a turian smile, as he listened to the enthusiastic constable's chatter.

The happy hum of Lavern's sub vocals were suddenly joined by a strange buzzing sensation just under Vereus' fringe.* He looked up in time to see the youngling fall over and begin to cry. Liquid leaked down the human's face. _Tears_ , he remembered. Turians couldn't cry. The child was panicking, in whirlwind of people walking around, without a second glance. He got up and approached, careful not to seem threatening. To his surprise the child seemed only grateful as he gently helped them back to their feet, and out of the crowd. The youngling smiled up at him and he nodded, he turning back toward Lavern. Suddenly, the buzzing sensation intensified to a painful level. Vereus clutched at his head and sank to his knees in shock.

He thought he saw Lavern begin to shout something, but he couldn't hear. he could barely see. Everything seemed to slow down.

The far wall appeared to disintegrate, fire spilling around the edges of debris as it burst towards him. He just had time to shield the child with his own form before the blast hit him too. He vaguely remembered being slammed into something solid, before his mind shorted out.

Consciousness came rushing back, accompanied by pain shooting up his spine. The world span and sounds were muffled under the ringing of his earholes. Then he raised his head, wincing as it protested. _Lavern was closer to the blast. Oh shit, Lavern!_ Vereus scanned the area, vision blurry and shifting, as yelling, screaming and crying figures ran past or lay still on the blackened ground. His frantic gaze found his friend ten feet away. He was lying too still, in blackened armour and a puddle of blue. Vereus tried to call out, but nothing got past his lips. He pushed himself to his feet with a shudder and took two halting steps, before pitching forwards.

He saw the ground rise to meet him, and everything went black.

*see art/Turian-Anatomy-Study-399020084 for a useful diagram of basic turian anatomy. Thanks to kaji :)


	2. Chapter 2: Investigation

A/N: Interesting canon facts: Salarian names are very long; made up of homeworld, nation, city, district, clan and given name. Rare salarian females (10% of offspring) are almost always kept on the homeworld out of tradition and respect, controlling the political balance through shrewd negotiation. Salarians have no concept of romantic or sexual attraction. Biotics are rare, and prized by their Intelligence Services.

He came to for the second time in silence and cold, white sheets. His first thoughts were full of panic, a continuation of the chaos around him when he'd passed out. Why was it so quiet? Where was he? Where was the child? Where was Ceryx? Oh spirits, Lavern. Was he even still alive?  
A warning beep coincided with his rising heartbeat and it startled him before he realized what it was. A heart beat monitor. His blurry vision slowly recognized the sterile room as one belonging to the Tayseri Ward Hospital, and he slumped back. An asari nurse came bustling in.

Half an hour later he sat in the Ward's Captain's office, watching the older turian frown at a report. Vereus had been discharged from the hospital with no more than a minor concussion and damaged armor, and he'd staggered out after a quick wash. The captain looked up, face haggard.

"I just can't believe this. Thirty eight dead, fourteen hospitalized." His dark look deepened as he passed the datapad over. Vereus scanned the report. A turian eatery had been completely vapourized, families and children were just... gone. "There's barely enough left for victim identification. So far as we can tell, all were turian victims except for four Quarians, on their pilgrimage."

"Oh spirits. Why?" Vereus mumbled, horror etching his features as he flipped through footage.

"We have no idea. None!" The captain sank into his chair, head in his hands. "How can this have happened Vere? This is my district, my people, and I'm helpless to protect them."

"I don't know, sir. I don't think we could have been prepared if we'd tried. Is this true? No traces of the explosive device at all?" The captain nodded slightly. Vereus watched his superior in concern. He knew something was really wrong, but why tell him? A sergeant? Maybe the captain just needed a confidant for a little peace of mind. It was unlike him, but then these were more than unusual times. He scrolled down the report and then suddenly froze. Blinking, he placed it carefully back on the captain's desk.

"Sir," He began, subvocals relaying his discomfort. "There was some... sensitive data on there. You might want to revise that-" He stopped as the captain's head shook, and he looked up.

"Relax Sergeant, you're cleared for it."

Vereus' mandibles made a few little circles in the air before he replied. "How? Sir, I'm only a Sergeant, in Enforcement. There's no way I'm cleared for this."

"You are now. You're being transferred to Investigation. You know that the docks better than anyone, and your relations with humans blow ours out of the water. Orders straight from the brass. You're to go see the detective in charge straight away."

Vereus blinked once or twice. Then he slowly stood up. "Sir, I-"

"No buts, Sergeant." His tone changed, becoming gentler and he shifted in his chair. "Vereus, I've known you for years. The only reason you haven't been promoted is that I know that there's no place you'd rather be than down on that dock, helping out the recruits and people-watching.

"But now, we need those skills. I need you to stop this, and I know you will. There's going to be a lot of interspecies tension, and I'd rather have you out there stopping wars, than in here at risk of being blown up again."

"Stopping wars, sir?"

"Hm, yes. You'll see, now go Sergeant."

Vereus nodded and turned towards the door.

"Oh, and Ver?"

He stopped and looked back at the concerned face, weathered with age and stress. "Yes, sir?"

"Be careful."

Enforcement Officer Sergeant Vereus Okranos, was feeling confused and alone, following the directions uploaded to his omnitool. He'd been in his position for ten years and he felt that it was part of him. He'd looked after the dock, and he'd helped countless subordinates grow and excel. It was his place. And now what? Transferred, with new people and into a job that seemed to come with some very worrying possibilities. He sighed and stopped in front of a door. Tayseri Ward: C-Sec Investigation. His subvocals clicked nervously as he knocked.

"Come."  
He pushed the door open. A surprisingly tall, slender figure stood up as he entered. Large eyes blinked at him as the detective gestured for him to sit. They took a seat themselves and leaned back, purple eyes observing him. A few moments passed before the detective spoke.  
"You seem restless and surprised... Acting Detective."

His mandibles fluttered in panic. "Yes, detective," he managed.  
"And now you seem even more so. Care to tell me why?"  
"Well, I-" He hesitated, glancing up at the serious face across from him.  
"Well? Ask, man! I'm not here for your entertainment."

He coughed politely. "I- I'm sorry, detective. I didn't mean to stare. I was just, surprised. I haven't seen many salarian C-Sec officers."

The detective looked ready to snap at him again, but he continued quickly, "and in truth, I've never seen any female salarians. Culturally, I'd been told that they're closely watched over, kept back for safe jobs. So yeah, I'm surprised. Although, you've probably heard this far too many times. So I'm sorry for inadvertently annoying you." He gave a small smile, which he hoped would lighten the mood, while not seeming flippant.  
The salarian shifted. Large eyes narrowed, and her dark eyelids closed upwards in a salarian slow blink. Then her lips twitched into a smile.  
"Clever, Okranos. Bordering on smartarse, but I'll give you that one anyway. Hm. Turian observation of other species unusual. Ability to read emotion and avoid anger, even more so. I am impressed."  
"Thank you," he said.

"Good. Now then, what else troubles you?"

Vereus relaxed slightly. "Well ma'am, to be honest I've been told almost nothing. I don't really know why I am here, or how the humans are apparently involved, or why you're referring to me as Acting Detective. Mostly though, I'm wondering if my friend is dead or alive."

"Ah, yes." She looked down at a datapad. "The constable, a Lavernis Ceryx. He is fine, stable. Minor burns, fractured wrist, should heal completely within two weeks. Turian physiology remarkably real resilient. Hm, good. You will need it."  
"Oh," he blinked. "Uh, why?"

She ignored him. "Probationary Acting Detective status instated ten minutes ago. Under my supervision. Exemplary record, intelligent officer, good with race relations, wasted on herding civilians. I need your input. Your knowledge of the area, people and social interactions will come in handy. Plus my old partner is dead, so you will do as a replacement."  
"Dead?" He asked hoarsely.

"The human involvement... is more difficult. In short, we don't know."  
"Oh," he breathed an inner sigh of relief. "So they're not involved?"  
"Yes. No. Complicated." The detective took a deep breath, and began to speak slower.  
"Complicated. You see, human residue found at the bomb site."  
"Residue?" He asked, relief evaporating.  
"Yes. Residue of vaporised human. Levo-amino-acid traced."  
"Ah." He fell silent with a slight shudder and watched her pace behind the desk. She continued.  
"The human was the closest to the source of the explosion. Human in turian bar? Oddity. That close to explosive? Not coincidence. The tensions high, many factions are upset as a result of theRelay 314 Incident, on both sides. I am assigned because I am impartial, you because you are the closest a turian can come to impartial in this. Is this correct?"  
Vereus nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess."  
"Why is that? Why would you be impartial?"  
"Why not?" He rallied.

"Fair point."

They stared at each other for a while.

He almost jumped as she stepped forward, a gloved hand thrust out. He took it carefully, in talons much larger than the delicate salarian hand.  
"I am Senior Detective Nasurn Aegohr Khan Ish Maurus Il Saul," she said. Again her mouth twitched into that little smile, as she saw the nervous flutter of his mandibles.

"However," she continued, "I will be Detective Saul to you, Acting Detective Okranos."  
He nodded. "Yes ma'am."  
"Now, to the armor locker. Yours is too weak, need heavy armor for this job!" She called back, already leading the way out.  
"Uh, why?" He asked, eyes wide. She just kept walking, and he trotted forward to catch up.


	3. Chapter 3: Time to Think

Afterwards, Vereus couldn't remember much about the crime scene. He recalled trying to look attentive while he was anything but. He thought he could possibly recall the sensation of his olfactory system shutting down… he hoped. The smell, he'd never forget. The sights however, he was trying his hardest to. He'd seen what had once been people, now patches on the ground. The closest victims to the blast had left only their shadows behind, as lighter shapes on the blackened, broken walls. Of course, it hadn't helped that Saul had kept up an emotionless monologue almost the whole way through.

"Blast shadows show fearful poses," she observed, "some even in preperation to flee. They knew something was wrong, all saw it clearly enough to be afraid. Terrified, with not enough time to act. Horrible last feeling. Parents, children, now all just shadows on a wall. You can tell by the sizes. Won't need burial, nothing left."

Some of the other turian officers present were giving her angry looks. Vereus' brow plates shifted in a concerned frown. This was a small community, and most of these officers would have known someone caught in the blast. _Caught like Lavern_ , he thought. _I hope he's okay. I'll go visit him after work. But first..._

"Um, detective Saul."  
"Yes, hesitating acting detective? Am I not performing to your standards?" She smiled sweetly at him, and he sighed.  
"Well yes, ma'am. But some of these men had friends here. They'd react better to a more tactful and less objectified view of the deceased." He answered plainly, trying to keep to the facts and the frustration out of his voice. She was proving… difficult, and this seemed to be the best way to deal with it. Saul glared at him, and then rolled her big eyes.  
"Really? We coddle officers now?" She asked, frustration hanging heavy on her words.  
"Yes, detective Saul." He nodded and pointed to himself. "Tactful social skills, remember? I'm pretty sure it was in my job description somewhere."

She gave him a withering glance, before continuing to pick her way across the debris. A stream of what he was pretty sure was profanity drifted his way.

Later, with time to think, Vereus had begun to suspect that there was a further reason behind why he'd been assigned to this job. With someone like Saul on the case, impartial or not, he wasn't surprised her superiors had sent him to balance things up. She was intelligent, to the point, and impressively observant... But came with the social skills of a pyjak. In context however, she was a salarian. They often struggled to understand the protective mental padding that other species built around themselves in difficult times. It wasn't in her species' nature to be sensitive, they saw it only as wasting time.

Once they were done, and sufficiently decontaminated, he'd headed for the hospital. A few enquires later and he was standing outside a hospital room with a very tired doctor before him.  
"Vereus, my friend. It's good to see you." The asari beamed at him, and he smiled back.  
"You too, T'dana. How are the supplies holding up?"  
Her delicate brow creased. "Not good. Without your C-Sec donations, there would be a lot of people here with not enough medigel. As it is we're barely managing."  
He nodded understandingly. She looked down in surprise as he pressed some credits into her hand. She looked at him sternly.

"Now, Vereus. You can't keep putting every needy soul over yourself, there'll be nothing left of you."  
"It's okay, doctor, I've got a promotion. Take it, it'll do more good with you than me."  
She sighed. "All right, but I'm watching your health closely, _officer_."  
"Much appreciated," he smiled again. "How's Lavern."  
"Oh, he's doing good. You're a resilient lot, aren't you?"  
"So I've been told, " he said, sighing inwardly. _I'm going to need it. I don't even know why, but I sure believe it.  
_ "Well, he's fully conscious, and will be very glad to see you. He seems very tense, being out of the action, you know."  
"Well, I don't know if I'd call dock watch active," Vereus laughed, ignoring a dark little voice that said, _until recently_. "I'll go see him."

"Vere!"  
Lavernis Ceryx sat up in the hospital bed, his sand coloured face beaming up at his friend. Vereus smiled back. After a quick explanation of recent events, Lavern was bursting with questions.  
"So you're a detective now, that's so cool! Do you get special gear?"  
Vereus smiled, and pulled out a datapad. "Yeah, a little. I've got Phantom Armor and an M-97 Viper." He passed the pad over.  
"A sniper rifle? Awesome!" Lavern studied the image and grinned.  
"Hah, yeah. Hey, you can play with it if you promise not to shoot anyone," Vereus joked.  
"Sweet!" Lavern laughed, and then his expression became serious. "But really, Vere, what exactly happened out there?" He jerked his head in the direction of the ruined eatery.

Vereus sighed. "Well, we don't actually know. But damn it, I am going to find out."

~

Detective Saul wandered through the cold, artificially lit streets. She'd been working too late again. Salarians needed little sleep, but every species needed to rest more than half an hour a day. She sighed and looked up at the station half a kilometer away. As the walkway wound it's way forward, she heard something rustled in the gap between two buildings. The dark blue skin above her eyes creased in a frown. She'd walked these streets often enough, and always without fear. She was a member of C-Sec, and even the duct rats knew that messing with one officer would lead to the whole towering structure of C-Sec coming down on their heads. But tonight felt different. The streets were too quiet, the lighting too dark. She knew that such a thought was absurd, as the lighting was artificial, controlled by machinery. The Wards' lighting didn't change with the day/ night cycle like the Presidium's did. Nevertheless, she picked up her pace. Maybe she should call Vereus, maybe he would be in the office. He could step outside, just watch her approach. She need not tell him she was worried, just that she wanted to discuss evidence. _No. Stupid thought, Saul, you're getting paranoid. It would be-_

Noise assaulted her. Light blinded her. The entire building in front of her lit up, blossoming into flames. Unable to hear above the roar, she watched as glass smashed, bursting out of the twisted window frames.  
Saul stood in the middle of the street, frozen. Glass rained down around her, as she stared at the smoking pile.

No. No, no, no.  
Vereus, her captain, and her lieutenant... All inside the burning heap.

Instinct screamed at her to run in, to help. Training told her to stay put, as secondary explosions would be possible. _I'm no use to anyone if I'm dead_ , the calm voice said. _Go to hell_ , she replied. She began to walk forward.  
Something scraped behind her and she turned quickly, pistol drawn, in time to see someone sprinting towards her.

Vereus staggered to a halt by her side, barely glancing at the gun leveled at his chest. His gaze was immediately drawn upwards to the fire. She sagged in relief.

"I thought you were in there," she said over the noise.

His gaze didn't move. His voice, when he spoke, was cold and monotoned. "A lot of people were."  
Saul seemed startled, "I- well, yes. Where were you?"  
"Hospital."  
"Oh. I'm sorry."

He looked up at her, frustration and grief evident in the tense lines of his face. "Really? Are you?"  
She looked offended. "Yes!"

She scowled at him, but her expression changed as she watched his shoulders visibly sag. He cringed.  
"Spirits no... I'm sorry," he said, words almost lost in the crackling of falling beams. "Really. I shouldn't have- I just don't..." He lapsed into silence, taking in the devastation around him. Saul placed an awkward hand on his shaking shoulder.  
"Thanks," he whispered.

They stood in silence, as emergency services arrived and began putting out fires.

A/N: You may have noticed my little salute to a certain dedicated Spectre, in the mention of Nihlus Kryik's signature armor. A brave and honorable turian, I wish we'd gotten to know him better.


End file.
